More than half of people in the South think it is okay for Northerners to be paid less for doing the same job, according to new research.
Controversial plans to introduce “local pay” which will see teachers, nurses and civil servants paid less than their southern counterparts is the biggest policy divide between voters in the North and the South.
A study published yesterday by think tank Policy Exchange showed of those surveyed in the South 52 per cent are in favour of George Osborne’s plans and 33 against. In comparison, 47 per cent of Northerners are against the idea and 38 per cent support it.
Bradford South Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: “Regional pay is a completely immoral idea. It’s another ideological attack on the living standards of hard working people in places like Bradford. It’s simply wage cuts for people in the North dressed up as social policy.”
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